Thumb-sucking preventer.



A.'B. CRANDALL. THUMB SUGKING PREVENTER. APPLIOATION FILED APR. 0, 1910.

Patented Sept. 13, 1910.

fM/MZ/ lnventor,

Attorneys wltnesses "i AILBERT B. CRANDALL, or RED WING, MIItNESOTA.

'THUMB-SUCKING PREVENTER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 13, 191.

Application filetl ifipril 6, 1910. Serial No. 553,791.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT B. GRANDALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Red Win in the county of Goodhue and Stateof innesota, hax e invented a -new and useful Thumb-Sucking Preventer, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of this invention to provide a cap of novel and .improved form adapted to be mounted noon the thumbs of infants to prevent them rom sucking their thumbs.

. ()ne object of the invention is to provide a cap. of'novel and improved form adapted to the end above mentioned; to provide an absorbent band adapted to surround the open end of the cap}; and so to construct this absorbent band at it may constitute a means for securing the cap in place.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective showing the device in position; Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line A-B of Fig.

-1; Fi 3 is a transverse section on the line 4 C-D of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a sectional detail enlarged from Fig. 2.

The device includes, as a primary and fundamental element, a cap 1. This cap 1 is closed at one end and open at the other,

sons to cover entirely the end of the thumb.

This cap lmay be fashioned from 'a variety of materials; and I wish to limit myself to no specific structural material. Hard rubber, sheet metal or leather may be employed. Preferably however, the cap 1 is fashioned from metallic wire netting of small mesh. The particular advantage incident to the use of wire netting in fashioning the cap 1 is that the cap may thus be roughened to some degree, so as to prove unpleasant to the touch, when placed in the month; without being sufficiently abrasive to injure the lips or the tongue.

. The periphery of the cap 1, at its open end,

i is surrounded by a reinforcing band 2, preferably of metal, and U-shaped in transverse section.- This reinforcing band 2 is inclosed by another outer band-3, fashioned from absorbent materialof some sort, such as'cloth. By thus surrounding the open end .of the cap 1, both' upon the outside and inside of the cap with an absorbent band, any saliva which ma accumulate upon the end of the 1 thumb, will beretained in place within the "cap the saliva thus being prevented from trickling down upon the wrist. Owlngto the fact that the cap 1 is fashioned from netstrip ting, any saliva which may accumulate in the cap 1, above the absorbent band 3, may be readily-wiped away without removing the cap from the thumb. This absorbent band 3 may be fashioned in any desired manner; and the means whereby the cap is retained upon tln thumb, may likewise be varied. In the drznvings I have shown a novel means whereby the absorbent band and means for retaining the device upon the thumb, may be combined in a single structure; although it is to be understood that the showing in this regard may be departed from in particular instances without impairing the utility of theinvent-ion.

Sometimes, in fashioning the absorbent band and the securing means, a strip 4 of cloth is folded over the lower edge of-the band 2 and e tended half way around the cap '1. Anot ier similar strip 5' is folded over the lower edge of the band 2 and ex tended the rest of the way around thecap 1, the end 6 of the strip 4 being located diametrically opposite to the end 7 of the The free end of the strip 5 is made,

5. to inclose the end 6 of the strip 4, as shown at 8 and the free end of the strip 14 is made to inclose the end 7 of the strip 5 as shown at 9. The free ends of the two strips are then folded upon themselves, as shown at 10, the strips'being stitched, or otherwise secured to the cap 1 and to the reinforcing band 2. After having been folded upon themselves, as shown at 10, the strips are crossed upon each other as at 11 andthere secured together, at some distance from the open end of the cap 1, the free extremities 12 constituting tying ends which may be united about the wrist of the wearer to hold the device in place.

Having thus described the invention,what is claimed is 1. A device of the class. described comprising a one-piece ca arranged to cover a thumb end; andan a sorbent band inclosing the entire periphery of the cap at its open end and extended upon the inner and outer surfaces ofthe cap. I

2. A device of the class described comprising 'a cap arranged to cover a thumb end; and absorbent strips folded over the edge of the cap at its open end, each strip being carried around the cap tovinclose the end of the other strip; the" ree ends of the strips being crossed upon each other and their extremities being left free to constitute tying ends.

3. A device of the class described comprising a cap fashioned from metallic n et-- ting-of small mesh, and arranged to cover a thumb end; a reinforcing bandinclosing the edge of the cap at its open end; ab-

sorbent strips folded over the lower edge of the band, each strip being 'carried around the cap to inclose the end of the other strip;

:their free extremities constituting tying ends.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 'myown, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses. 

